A teenage charity shop volunteer claims he was sacked after returning a bank card and driving licence to their owner – who had mistakenly left them in a donation package.

Andrew Caddick, 17, says he got the elbow because he returned the property found among a donation of clothing for Oxfam in Quinton.

In the donation bag was a wallet containing a single bank card and a provisional driving licence. The donor thought he had lost both items but was overjoyed when the teen returned them.

“I got the sack for doing a good deed,” said Andrew.

“The reason was because I went to this person’s house and gave him his stuff back that was confidential.

“I was shocked, I just walked out and went back home and told my mum. She was saying ‘that’s not right’.

“I handed it to him, he was shocked because he thought he lost it a couple of days before and he was pleased to have it back.”

Quinton branch of Oxfam

Andrew, from Quinton, had been working at the Hagley Road shop full-time, Monday to Saturday. The college-leaver had offered to help out at the charity until he found a job in retail or construction.

He said: “I was bored sitting in the house so I thought I may as well use my time usefully.

“I was sorting out donations, keeping the shop floor and back room tidy. I felt like I was helping out.

“I started there as work experience. I asked for a volunteer job there until I got a job and had worked there for two to three weeks then this has happened.”

The anti-poverty charity says on its website it has hundreds of volunteer vacancies.

An Oxfam spokeswoman said: “While on work experience at our Hagley Road West shop, Mr Caddick and another volunteer discovered historical personal documents, a bank card and driving licence in a donations bag. The documents were brought to the attention of the shop manager but the bank card and licence were not. Mr Caddick took them from the shop and attempted to return them himself.

“When this was brought to the manager’s attention, she spoke to Mr Caddick about his actions - specifically why both items were not brought to her attention and his visit to the address acquired from the personal documents - and he was unable to offer any explanation. Given that there has been a clear breakdown in communication and trust, Mr Caddick has been asked to not volunteer in the shop until the manager investigates the situation further.”